First deputy minister: Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan actively exchange expertise on water management issues PHOTO

Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Water Resources Timur Butunbaev has said that Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are actively exchanging expertise on water resource management, combating desertification, and addressing issues of land degradation.

"Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has emphasised Azerbaijan's role in advancing climate issues and preserving water resources. I believe the prospects are broad, and it all depends on the ministries, the private sector, and how we organise our cooperation moving forward," Butunbaev told Report, Caliber.Az informs.

Butunbaev emphasised that the issues surrounding the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea remain a pressing priority on the agenda, creating significant opportunities for cooperation in this area.

As for water-saving technologies, he noted that strong ties have been established between the two countries at both the ministerial and private sector levels. 

The first deputy minister also highlighted the importance of engaging the international community, stressing that the challenges of desertification and water resource preservation must be more prominently addressed at climate conferences.

Earlier, Uzbek Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov said that Uzbek companies are set to launch new projects in the liberated territories of Karabakh, focusing on the production of construction materials, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

“We have initiated a textile production project in Khankendi. This project will create approximately a thousand jobs, with 80 per cent of production expected to be exported. This marks the first foreign investment in the liberated territories and will help create jobs and enhance the industrial potential of these areas,” Kudratov said.

Kudratov highlighted the numerous opportunities for cooperation, noting that the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company is instrumental in supporting these projects.

“I believe that with the strong political will and the warm relations between our leaders, we will certainly reach even greater achievements in our bilateral cooperation,” he added.

By Naila Huseynova